Page 23 of At the Highlander's Mercy
Stunned that he had taken a public stance against Symon and Tyra on this, Lilidh sat down on the chair and lifted the tunic once more. Searching in the smaller basket, she found a matching thread and began to sew the tear along the seam closed. Embroidering and sewing were always a great way to clear her thoughts and her mother had always encouraged her skill in it.
‘I will come back later with more,’ Siusan said as she walked to the door. Beathas left at the same time and she listened as they walked away, chatting quietly as they went.
Well, if nothing else, she would be busy. There must be at least six or seven tunics and trews as well as shirts. It would take her most of the day to finish these, but she did not have to walk down those steps and that was a good thing.
More importantly, Robhadheard her words andfears about her leg and done something about it. For her. What had happened to make him take her side, especially against his betrothed? Since she did not want to give anyone there a reason to return her to the kitchens,
Lilidh decided to work on mending the clothes. When her leg began to cramp from sitting too long in one position, she stood and paced the chamber.
Did he mean for her to be allowed out of the chamber?
Should she try?
Making her way over to the door, she lifted the latch and peered out. The two guards on duty immediately blocked the door, preventing her from leaving at all.
‘Beathas said I may walk,’ she said, glancing from one to the other. She fully expected them to order her back inside, so when they parted and nodded permission to her, she paused before stepping into the corridor.
Lilidh worried through the first few paces, but then each one became a bit easier. Each guard walked to the opposite end of the corridor and blocked it so that none could leave or enter from the stairs. Though several times they looked as though they wanted to say something to her, they never did. Not wanting to bring any untoward attentions by remaining there too long, she covered the length of it four times, counting the paces between one end and the other.
Counting the paces between the three chambers on one side and two on the other. Counting how many paces it took to reach the stairway. By the time her leg was loose and somewhat comfortable, she had memorised the locations and distances to all the rooms on this floor.
Her father would be proud.
When she returned to the bedchamber, Lilidh took some of the thicker threads and tied knots to remember all the calculations she’d made. Then she tucked the threads into her sleeve to keep it safe for when she needed it. For that moment, it felt good to be thinking ahead. To be making a plan.
* * *
The next interruption to her work came when a tray was delivered to her as sunset approached. Standing and stretching as a servant she’d seen in the kitchens entered with it, Lilidh waited while the girl put it on the bigger table on the other side of the room. Since Rob had left parchments scattered over its surface, she gathered them into a pile and moved them so as not to damage them.
Once alone, the documents proved too much temptation for her and she reached for the one on top of the pile and read it.
Latin was no obstacle for her—she could read in several languages, though not as easily as her cousin Ciara could. Ciara was permitted to work with her father on contracts and such while Lilidh had only been allowed to watch silently during some sessions.
Watch and learn, lass,her father and uncle instructed.
So she did, and she had learned much about the workings between clans and about contracts and, more importantly, about men. How they thought. The reasons behind their decisions. Now, looking over this offer offriendshipfrom the MacKenzies, Lilidh understood the difficult place Rob was in.
The old laird had been approached and given some indication of willingness to switch his allegiance from the MacLeries to the MacKenzies—a move that had far-reaching implications. An alliance between them would shift the balance of power in the west of Scotland and create instability where her father strived for peace. On his terms, certainly, but peace and stability.
Still, there was nothing except a long-standing relationship to keep the ties strong between the Mathesons and the MacLeries. The old laird’s regard and friendship had resulted in Angus sending his illegitimate son to foster with her family. And that her father accepted Rob spoke of the respect between the two men. Until he had repudiated their love and humiliated her before all.
And now? How would Rob go? If he had ordered her kidnapping, clearly he was trying to tweak her father’s nose as he left. Worse, he was trying to bring her family into war, for if the MacLeries rose against the Mathesons, the MacKenzies’ offer of support in this letter alone would guarantee their involvement. Had she become the instrument of war to bring down her powerful family and redistribute the power and wealth in the western Highlands?
Perhaps the other letters and documents held the answer to that critical question. It was as she reached for another missive that she heard the footsteps approaching the door. The heavier step and pace told her it was a man. When she heard the voices outside the door, she knew Rob had returned to his chambers.
Lifting the tray and carrying it to the bed, she then scattered the documents across the table, hoping Robwould not notice. Going back to the bed, she slid onto it and brought the tray nearer to make it appear as though she’d eaten there and not gone near to the table. When the door opened, she stuffed a piece of bread in her mouth and tried not to look guilty.
Chapter Ten
When he’d awoken at dawn’s light, Rob had discovered her tucked against him, but even then, hardly moved from the night before. A man’s presence in her bed did not disturb her rest, even if she did not remember which man it was at her side. Cursing himself for that thought and the resentment it caused within him, Rob carefully peeled himself away from her and climbed from the bed. Certainly she was accustomed to a man at her side—she’d been married for months. At least until Iain died, whenever that was. Glancing back at her, he noticed that Lilidh did not move.
Siusan told him she worked without complaint and with little pause through the day. She’d mentioned that Lilidh had some difficulty sitting and gave him a glaring look, but he dismissed it and her without understanding it. The expression was matched throughout the day by others, all from women, and all without further comment. Puzzling, but he had little time to think about that when so many other more important matters lay in his lap.
He had dressed quickly and left the chamber, giving the guards new instructions. Although he’d not said so, he knew Lilidh’s leg was the reason for her request to be held nearer to the kitchens. But his reaction to her request told him much about himself and his continuing attraction to this woman.
* * *
The day passed quickly for him, but if he tried to convince himself that he gave her no thought, Dougal’s smirk told him otherwise. The man was too observant, though he never said a word.
